Guest Post: How digital twins are taking the guesswork out of travel

Sophie Whike, growth partner at Brandwidth, breaks down how and why this could be a missed step in the industry, with the time to act being now

For most people, planning a trip still involves a leap of faith. You scroll through hotel photography, watch a few videos, check the reviews and hope the reality matches what you have built in your head.

That gap between expectation and reality has always been a part of travel. Sometimes it adds to the excitement. More often, it creates hesitation. If a traveller cannot picture where they are going, how a place works or what the experience will feel like, confidence starts to fall.

Digital twin destinations are beginning to change that. A digital twin is a live, interactive replica of a real place that reflects how it actually looks and behaves. By building these virtual environments, tourism boards, hotels and attractions can help people understand a destination before they commit to it.

When digital twins move into the traveller journey

Digital twins are not new. Construction and urban planning have used them for years to design and test physical environments. What is changing is how travel can use the same technology as part of the customer journey.

In tourism, digital twins can become part of the decision-making process. Instead of relying on imagery or reviews alone, travellers can understand how a space actually works, from hotel layouts to how a resort feels at its busiest.

A virtual tour is usually static. It shows a pre-rendered view of a space, often with limited connection to what is happening in the real world. A genuine digital twin is more dynamic. It can reflect changing conditions and show how a place behaves.

In January 2025, Benidorm launched what it described as the first digital twin of a tourist destination, using Mirai Maps to bring together accommodation, restaurants, leisure and other services in one immersive experience.

Confidence is becoming a conversion tool

Travel brands know richer content can influence decisions, particularly when it helps people feel more informed. Expedia Group’s 2025 research found that 71% of travellers said video influenced travel decisions, compared with 24% for static images.

Digital twins take that logic further by reducing uncertainty in a practical way. A family might explore pool layouts, room distances and how busy shared areas feel. A solo traveller might focus on transport links, safety and the surrounding area.

For tourism boards, this changes the role of destination marketing. Carefully selected imagery can still create desire, but travellers increasingly want a clearer sense of what the experience will actually feel like before they commit.

According to Expedia Group’s 2025 Traveler Value Index, 88% of global consumers planned a leisure trip in the next year, while more than 60% turn to social media for inspiration. Demand is strong, but trust has to be earned earlier.

The best use cases will answer real questions

The real value comes through when the space itself affects how confident someone feels about visiting. For hotels, venues and attractions, digital twins can reduce friction before arrival by making layout, busy periods, accessibility and the feel of the visit much easier to understand.

For airlines and travel platforms, the opportunity may sit in bundling. A traveller looking at a city break could explore hotel options, nearby attractions, transfer routes and bookable experiences in one connected environment.

Accessibility is another natural use case. For travellers with physical disabilities, anxiety, sensory needs or financial constraints, a detailed preview can make travel feel more manageable. It can help someone understand routes, entrances, room layouts, transport options and busy periods before they arrive.

For travel brands, getting this right starts with purpose. A tourism board trying to manage visitor flow will need a different experience to a hotel group trying to increase direct bookings or an attraction trying to make visitors feel more prepared.

The design also has to serve the traveller. A beautiful 3D model will only go so far if it does not answer the questions people actually have before booking. A 2025 study of digital twins in smart tourist destinations, based on tourist responses across Spain, found that trust, usefulness and ease of use strongly predicted adoption intentions.

Closing the gap between expectation and reality

Digital twins will not replace the emotional pull of travel. People still want discovery, surprise and the feeling of arriving somewhere properly. What they can do is make the decision feel less risky.

For destinations, that means fewer gaps between the image someone buys into and the experience they find when they get there. For travellers, it means greater confidence before they spend their money, use their annual leave or commit to a journey.

Photography, video and social content will still matter, but they only go so far. Digital twins can give people a clearer sense of place before they book, from how a destination looks to how it works.

For travel brands, that makes them more than a technology story. They are a confidence tool. And in travel, confidence is often what turns interest into a booking.